The microelectronics industry is highly competitive, and most microelectronics manufacturers are highly sensitive to quality and cost considerations. Most microelectronics manufacturers, therefore, require that suppliers of microelectronic components test performance of each component before shipment to minimize the manufacturer's product losses. Microelectronic components are commonly tested by establishing temporary electrical connections between a test system and electrical terminals at the microelectronic component.
Many test systems typically employ a testing apparatus having a support surface that is lined on one or more sides with electrical contacts. A microelectronic component can be placed on the test surface, and the contacts are collectively urged toward and contacted with the terminals at the microelectronic component. Although convenient for concurrently connecting together multiple sets of contacts and terminals, this technique is limited in that the individual contacts and terminals need to be carefully aligned. If a contact is misaligned, the contact can deliver an improper electrical potential to a terminal; this can cause a testing error and/or damage the internal circuitry of a microelectronic component. In many instances, temporary misalignment occurs when a microelectronic device is being installed or removed from a testing apparatus. For example, if a microelectronic component is not accurately aligned when it is installed or removed from a testing apparatus, one or more of the terminals may inadvertently contact the supply or ground voltages at individual contacts of the testing apparatus.